Nov. 2, 1903.] THE TROPICAL 
At^RIOULTURIST. 
309 
this were reqaii-ed. the testimony of drooping leaves 
and of crops shrunken from one-half to two-thirds, 
as the reiiuU of drought, confirm it and bespeak the 
necessity of copioas water at all times. 
The living tree upon the sea sands farther empha- 
sizes this necessity ; for, while its roots are lapped 
by the tides, it never flags or wilts, and from this 
we may gattier the added value of a sice which can 
be irrigated. The carefal observer will note that along 
miles of sea beach, among hundreds of trees 
whose roots are either in aotual contact with the 
incoming waves, or snbj acted to tae subterranean 
influence of the sea, there will never be so much as one 
tree . growing in any beach basin which collects 
and holds tidal water fur erea a brief time ; and 
that, notwithstanding the large number of uats 
that must have found lodgment and favourable ger- 
minatinij influeuoe in such places, none succeed in 
growing. From this we may derive the asanrance 
that the desired water must b'i in motion and that laud 
near stagnant water, or marsh land, is unsuitable 
to the plant. It may frequently be observed that 
trees will be found growing fairly thriftily apon 
mounds or hammocks, in places invaded by flood 
or other waters which, by reason of backing 
or damming up, have become stagnant. An examina- 
tion of the roots of an overthrown tree in such a 
locality will show that all of those in the submerged 
zone have perished and rotted away, but that such 
is the vitality and recuperative energy of the tree 
that it has thrown out a new feeding system in 
the dryer soil of the mound immediately surround- 
ing the stem, which has been sufficient to success- 
fully carry on the functions of nutrition, but 
altogether ineliective to anchor the trees securely, 
or to prevent its prostration before the first, heavy 
gale. 
GREAT ADAPTABILITY TO ENVIRONMENT. 
Although analysis of the coconut ash derived from 
beach-grown nuts shows a larger percentage of those 
salts cnat abound in sea water inau those grown 
inland, yet the equal viguur, vitality, ami fruiifuluess 
of the latter simply coutitm the plant's exceptional 
adaptability to enviconmeut and ability to take up 
auU dticumpose, without detriment, tbe salts of sea 
or brackish waters. As a victim to the maritime 
idea, the writer in 188b planted far inland several 
hundred nuts in beds especially devised to repro- 
duce littoral conditions ; shore gravel, sea sand, 
broken shells, and salt derived from sea water being 
used in preparing the seed beds. Xne starting 
growth was unexcelled. Then came a long period 
of yellowing decline and almost suspended animation, 
ultimately followed by a complete restoration to health 
and vigour. Tne early excellent growth was due to 
the fact that the first nourishmeut^of the plant is 
entirely derived from the endosperm, and careful 
iilQing of the young plants disciosect the fact that 
recovery from tneir moribund cjaduion was, iu every 
instance, coincident with the time thai, the roots 
first aucceeUed lu working through the unpalatable 
mess about them into the outlying good, sweet soil, 
EXPOSURE OP THE PLANTATION. 
The exposare of the plantation is an important con- 
sideration, and a maritime site should' be selected 
in preference to one far inland, ualess it be on an 
open, unprotected flat, exposed to the influence of 
every breeze or the fiercest gales that blow. The 
structure of the coconut seems well fitted to endure 
wiuds of almost any force, and that a remarkably 
abundant and strong circulation of air is essential 
to its best development is well shown by compar- 
ing a tree subjected to it with the wretched, spindling 
specimen (growing in a ahelttred glen or ravine*^Strong 
CQntiimation of tnis may be fouad within the arti- 
ficial environment of a plant conservatory, where 
ic la feasible to reproduce, in the miuute detail 
ot aoil, water, temperature, and faamidily, every 
esaeatial to its welfare except a goof, strong oresza. 
THE SOIL FOR COCONUTS. 
The soils for cocouut growing are best selected by 
the process of exclusion. The roots of coconuts are 
devoid of the well-defined descending axis, which is 
possessed by most tree plants, and is otteu ho stroa^ly 
developed as to permit of rock cleavage and tue 
witlidravifal of too'l supplies from great depths. The 
coconut has no such provision for its support. Its 
subterranean parts are simply a mat like expanse 
of thick, fleshy worm-like growths, devoid of any 
feeders other than those provided at the extreme 
tips of the relatively few roots. These roots are 
fleshy (not fibrous) and can not thrive in any soil 
through which they may not grow freely in search 
of sustenance. It then becomes obvious that stiff, 
tenacious, or waxy soils, however rich, are wholly 
unsuitable. All very heavy lands, or those that break 
up into solid, impervious lumps, and lastly, any 
land underlaid near the surface with bed rocks or 
impervious clays or conglomerates, ;'re naturally 
excluded. All other soils, suscepoible of proper 
drainage, may be considered appropriate to the growth 
of the palm, cspons (Eucyclop.) advocates light, sandy 
soils, Simmonds (Trap. Aqric.) lays more or less 
emphasis upon a sandy mixture. 
As a matter of fact every grain of saud in excess of 
that required to secure a condition of perfect per- 
meability is a positive disadvantage and muuu be 
paid for by a correspondingly larger area of cultiva- 
tion and by future soil amendment, For the rest, 
the richer and deeper the soil the less the expense 
of maintaining soil fertility. 
WEEDING : A WORD FOB CEYLON GKOWERS, 
It has long been the reprehensible pr<ictice of cocjuat 
growers to merely dig pits, manure thein, set the 
plants therein, and permit the intervening lands 
(except immediately about the trees) to ran to weeds 
or jungle. 
It is amazing to read of discussions between C yion 
and Indian nut growers as to the best ^ method of 
tethering cattle upon coconut palms in pasturj, so 
as to obtain the most benefit from their excreta, 
The entire superficies of the orchard will be required 
by the wide-spreading, surface-feeding roots oi the 
trees, and pasture crops of any kind, grown for any 
purpose other than soiling or for greeu manuring, 
are prejudicial to future success. 
SEED PLANTING. 
Cire should be exercised in 3ele.;ting seed-nuts from 
trees the nuts of which are well formea and uniformed. 
This precaution will suggest itself when one obsirves 
that some trees have the habit of producing a few 
very large nuts and many of very small and irri- 
gular size and shape, and it is obviously to the 
planter's interest to lend no assistance to the pro- 
pagation and transmission of such traits. It is almost 
superfluous earnestly to recommend planters to sow 
no seeds from young trees. The principal for this 
contention — that no seed should be selected except 
from trees of estaulished, well-known fruiting habits — 
would seem to cover the ground effectually. 
The best seed should be selected and picked when 
perfectly mature and lowered to the ground. The 
fall from a lofty tree not infrequently craukj the 
inner shell, without giving any external evidenoe of 
the injury. A seed so injured will never sprout and 
therefore is worthless for seed purposes. 
Freshly collected seed nuts contain in the husk more 
moisture ihan is required to effect germination, and if 
planted in this condition decay is apt to set in before 
germination occurs. To avoid this the natives tie them 
in pairs, sliug them over bamboo poles whore tuey 
are exposed to the air but sheltered from the sun, 
and leave them until well sprouted. It is, however, 
more expeditions to pile the nuts up in smj,U heips 
of eight to ten nuts, in partial shide, wuere the 
surface ants may be sprinkled occasionally to prevent 
complete drying out, 
G-ermination is very erratic, somtimesocouring with> 
ia a month aad si^metimea es(eadiDg gver foari five, 
